WHY DO I NEED A DIGESTIVE ENDOSCOPY WHEN I AM NORMAL?

During the examination process at Dai Phuoc General Clinic, doctors have discovered many cases of stomach cancer and colon cancer when patients proactively requested an endoscopy to screen for gastrointestinal cancer even though they had absolutely no symptoms and detected cancer; many cases were very young, from 18 to 40 years old.

According to the latest statistics in Vietnam, stomach cancer and colon cancer are the two most common cancers, second only to liver, lung and breast cancer, with rates of 9.8% and 9% respectively of the total number of cancer cases. Most cases are detected at a late stage because patients only go to the doctor when they have symptoms.

An important point about stomach and colon diseases is that the severity of symptoms may not be proportional to the severity of the disease. There are cases of severe abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss, etc., but the endoscopy results only record mild lesions, but there are also many cases where there are no symptoms but when the endoscopy is performed, precancerous lesions or even cancerous lesions are detected.

Painless Digestive Endoscopy

For early-stage esophageal, gastric and colorectal cancers, the initial cancerous lesion is still localized in the mucosa (the superficial lining of the digestive tract), so cancer at this stage can be treated gently and completely cured by interventional gastrointestinal endoscopy, without the need for gastrointestinal surgery or chemotherapy, thereby preserving the function of the digestive tract and the patient's quality of life. For colorectal cancer, most cases of initial cancer originate from benign polyps. Endoscopic polypectomy has been shown to be a very effective measure to prevent colorectal cancer.

In general, the incidence of gastrointestinal cancer increases with age and is significantly higher in people aged 40 and over. Therefore, regular health check-ups and screening gastrointestinal endoscopy, even when there are no symptoms at this age, can help detect precancerous lesions and gastrointestinal cancer at an early stage. For those with a family history of gastrointestinal cancer, screening may require more careful assessment and should be done with the advice of a specialist.

Endoscopy is the “ gold standard ” in diagnosing and treating diseases of the upper gastrointestinal tract (esophagus, stomach, duodenum) and lower gastrointestinal tract (colon, rectum, anus). With the development of technology, today’s new generation endoscopes not only magnify lesions to help detect lesions even when they are very small, but also integrate a staining feature to help identify cancerous lesions at an early stage.

Through endoscopy, the doctor inserts an instrument to approach the lesion, biopsies the mucosa to find Helicobacter pylori bacteria - a pathogenic bacteria that lives in the stomach environment and has been proven to be the leading cause of ulcers and stomach cancer. Doctors can also take tissue samples in areas with images to send for cytological testing (Pathological Anatomy testing) to evaluate the imaging of the lesion under a microscope with magnification of 40 - 100 times, thereby helping to accurately determine the benign or malignant nature of the lesion. In addition, through the instrument channel of the endoscope, the endoscopist can also insert specialized instruments to approach and treat the lesion such as stopping bleeding ulcers, cutting polyps, removing foreign objects, etc.

Strengths of the Digestive Endoscopy Center of Dai Phuoc General Clinic

- Digestive Endoscopy Center - Dai Phuoc General Clinic is a prestigious medical facility, specializing in the field of digestive endoscopy with a modern system of high-resolution machinery, which can magnify small lesions combined with a staining method to help clearly identify early stage cancer lesions.

Magnification endoscopy combined with electronic staining at Dai Phuoc Endoscopy Center helps diagnose early gastric cancer in a person with intestinal metaplasia but completely asymptomatic undergoing periodic screening endoscopy.

Figure A. A metaplastic lesion larger than the surrounding lesions is identified (inner yellow circle).

Figure B. The lesion within the yellow circle in Figure A was approached and closely observed, noting a suspicious area measuring only about 3 mm in size (area within the green circle).

Figure C. Under magnification and electron staining, the area within the yellow circle in Figure B is magnified, noting a very small area with surface structural changes consistent with early gastric cancer (area within the blue circle), and orienting the cytological sampling site (Pathology).

Figure D. Cytological test results at Dai Phuoc Clinic Pathology Center: severe dysplasia of the gastric mucosa - a precancerous condition that can be completely cured by interventional endoscopy without the need for partial gastrectomy or chemotherapy.

     -The center gathers skilled and experienced endoscopists from leading hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City.

     -The center has a close collaboration with the Pathology Center, which gathers the city's leading experts with extensive experience to help accurately diagnose many cases of early cancer of the digestive tract.

Pathology Center with experienced experts from University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ho Chi Minh City

- The center is equipped with a fully automatic endoscopic instrument washing system that meets international standards; tissue sampling tools (biopsy forceps, endoscopic needles, vein ligation sets, etc.) are single-use, along with a strict sterilization process and properly trained staff, helping to best prevent the risk of infection.

- The center performs painless pre-anesthesia endoscopy with the collaboration of experienced anesthesiologists, using drugs that meet strict safety standards currently used in gastrointestinal endoscopy in developed countries, helping patients have a gentle, soothing endoscopy experience and wake up immediately after the procedure.

- The center has a modern design with a preparation room, procedure waiting room, endoscopy room and recovery room organized separately with a sterilization and machine washing area.

- The center gathers a team of enthusiastic medical staff, caring and dedicated guidance throughout the preparation process before, during and after the procedure, even after completing the procedure and returning home.

Since its establishment, the Digestive Endoscopy Center has been oriented by Dai Phuoc General Clinic to develop as a key field. Thanks to the optimal combination of equipment - medical staff in the field of endoscopy and pathology, the Digestive Endoscopy Center - Dai Phuoc General Clinic has become a trusted destination in the field of screening and early treatment of gastrointestinal cancer.

With a well-organized, professional staff and doctors, modern equipment, reasonable costs and always putting the health and interests of patients at the center, the Digestive Endoscopy Center, Dai Phuoc General Clinic is proud to be an address that is increasingly chosen by many people, confidently entrusting their health. All staff of the Center always keep in mind and work with the spirit of " Dedication, gentleness and precision ", trying to serve and care for patients' health at the best level.